Waqf Bill: 300 People Issued Notices for Black Band Protest in Muzaffarnagar

The police say they identifed people based on the 2019 anti-CAA protest.

(300 people have been issued notices for protesting against Waqf Bill in Muzaffarnagar)

Photo: The Quint

"We went quietly, offered our prayers, and came back. We had tied black bands on our arms because the All India Muslim Personal Law Board had called for it. Now, the police have served us a notice. We also have to submit a bond of ₹2 lakh. I don’t understand what mistake we made. We were peacefully protesting against the Waqf Bill," says Maulana Shibli from Sarwat in Muzaffarnagar.

Like him, more than 300 Muslims have been issued notices by the City Magistrate of Muzaffarnagar, stating that they protested against the Waqf Bill by tying black bands during Friday prayers and could potentially disturb public peace. A ₹2 lakh surety bond has also been demanded. Similar notices have been issued in Lucknow as well.

What does the notice say?

The notice was issued under Sections 126 and 130 of the BNSS. It is titled "State vs. Maulana Shibli and others" and names five individuals including Maulana Shibli. According to the notice:

"The above-mentioned individuals protested against the Waqf Bill passed by the Waqf Board by wearing black armbands during Friday and Eid prayers. In the future, these individuals might provoke the public and disturb peace and order. To ensure peace is maintained, the Station House Officer (SHO) has requested that these individuals be bound by a peace bond. I am satisfied with the SHO’s report."

The notice further states that they must appear before the City Magistrate on 16 April and explain why they should not be made to sign a ₹2 lakh peace bond to maintain peace for a year.

The notice that was issued.

Police claim: 300 people were identified from 2019 CAA protests

The police said they have identified 300 individuals who had participated in anti-CAA protests in 2019 in Muzaffarnagar. Similar notices have been issued.

Another notice claims that those listed are "dominant, quarrelsome, and of criminal tendencies" and may mislead innocent people by spreading false narratives about the Waqf Bill, leading to unrest."

This particular notice includes names like Latafat Siddiqui, Maulana Mukarram, Suhail, Savez, and Yaqoob Pradhan. The Quint spoke to some of those who received the notice.

 Picture of another notice

"Protesting is not a crime"

On receiving the notice, Maulana Shibli told The Quint: "We wore black armbands in protest of the Waqf Bill because the All India Muslim Personal Law Board called for it. Now we will go to court on 16 April and present our case. We have committed no crime."

 Maulana Shibli is seen on the left in the picture and next to him is Fakhruddin.

"Why did I receive a notice when I have no case against me?"

Fakhruddin, a ward member, also received a notice. He said:

"I am always part of the peace committee during every festival. I’m not a history-sheeter, there’s no case against me. Yet I received a notice. In a democracy, we have the right to express ourselves. We were inside the mosque, not on the streets. Still, we were served notices."

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind’s district president Maulana Mukarram Qasmi also got a notice. He said: "The administration doesn’t want any protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill, so they’re using intimidation. Protest is our constitutional right. But in this case, there wasn’t even a protest, and still notices have been issued." He further added:

"Our only fault is that we are Muslims. That’s why only Muslims are being served notices."

Maulana Mukarram Qasmi, District President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

Maulana Mukarram Qasmi is the district president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

"I wasn’t even in the city, yet I got a notice"

Afzal from Civil Lines police station area also got a notice, although he claims he wasn’t even in the city that day. Afzal told The Quint:

"I wasn’t in the city that day and didn’t wear any band. I was in Deoband for the last Friday prayers and prayed there."

Afzal

Another similar case: Guddu also received a notice. Maulana Shibli claimed Guddu currently works and resides in Delhi. The Quint is trying to contact Guddu for comment and will update the story as and when they respond.

Questions around the accusations in the notice

There are questions being raised about the accusations of potential disturbance of peace in the notices. People are also asking on what basis these 300 individuals were identified, especially as some claim they weren’t even present in the city.

When The Quint spoke to City SP Satyanarayan Prajapat of Muzaffarnagar, he said:

"There are around 300 people. These are individuals who created trouble during the 2019 CAA and NRC protests in Muzaffarnagar. They have a history of protest. This is not a notice, but a kind of bond — taken as assurance that these individuals won’t disturb law and order in the future."

City SP Satyanarayan Prajapat of Muzaffarnagar

10 lakh bond notices for Sumaiya Rana and Uzma Parveen

Lucknow police issued a notice to Sumaiya Rana, a Samajwadi Party leader, and Uzma Parveen, a social activist, requiring a ₹10 lakh bond and two sureties of the same amount. The notice to Sumaiya Rana says she might disturb peace or be involved in some unlawful act that could disturb peace. The notice reads:

"The situation is extremely tense, and there’s a strong possibility she may disrupt peace."

Sumaiya Rana posted a video saying: "This is dictatorship by the government and police. I will appeal in court and raise my voice against every wrong step."

Uzma Parveen posted the notice on social media, saying:
"My only fault is that I raised my voice against the Waqf Amendment Bill and oppression. That’s why I’ve been served this notice. What justice is this?"

(With inputs by Amit Kumar Saini)